What's the story on WPLX, the low power FM licensed to Pelham? I was driving through downtown Calera this afternoon and just happened to tune to 93.3 FM and heard what sounded like a station offering an adult contemporary or classic hits format. I figured it was probably WSYE in Tupelo, MS, as I hear that coming in quite a bit on the car stereo. I heard a promo which mentioned the new "93.3 The River" so I just assumed it was WSYE with a new branding. The signal was even better as I crossed over I-65 at exit #231 and going farther north. I heard an "ad" for a business in Shelby county, followed by the TOH station ID given as "WPLX-LP, Pelham, Helena". I thought WPLX only broadcasts with 9 watts ERP or have I missed something?
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WPLX-LP Pelham
- Thread starter passtheword
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As far as I know they're only 9 watts, but you wouldn't know it from how well the station gets out. Last time I was in Birmingham in 2020, I heard it in Hoover on I-459, fairly well in places. I could definitely tell they are located in a relatively low spot since terrain shadowing would completely kill it in places.
Headed down I-65, though, it started really getting bad right past the Alabaster exit where the Walmart is. And it was completely unlistenable well before the Shelby County airport.
Headed down I-65, though, it started really getting bad right past the Alabaster exit where the Walmart is. And it was completely unlistenable well before the Shelby County airport.
How odd. It was exact opposite scenario here when listening to WPLX yesterday...the closer I was to the Shelby county airport exit, the better the signal. We don't even receive any kind of (listenable) signal from WZAL in Alabaster, at home or while in the car here in Calera.
That is definitely odd, but it's possible the atmosphere was playing tricks on me. I only did the drive-listen on one day that I was in town and haven't been back in a while. I thought WZAL actually had an even better signal than WPLX, probably one of the better LPFM coverage areas I've experienced. It was strong enough that I was able to listen inside a ground floor hotel room in Bessemer, and I am pretty sure I carried it south of the Shelby County airport, further than WPLX. But again that was based on some pretty limited data on my part.
I haven't listened to them lately, but I usually have no problems getting them in my car when driving along South Shades Crest Road from CR-52 (Morgan Road) towards Highway 150, then towards Ross Bridge. By the time I'm near Lakeshore Parkway the signal dies out.
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